Bloody Shame
by chips2
Summary: aka- "A tee-shirt and jeans kind of guy". Luke has a couple of surprises for Noah on his birthday.


A T-shirt and Jeans Kind of Guy

"Shall I get you another drink?"

Luke looked towards the door of Metro as he sat at the bar. Noah was thirty minutes late but he had called to apologize.

"Yes please, Dan."

Luke sighed as he subconsciously ripped strips out of a cocktail napkin.

"Is Noah running late again?" Dan asked as he busied himself making Luke his second drink. Dan, the bartender, knew Luke and Noah fairly well from their regular dates at Metro.

"Yeah. It's fine though. Things have been crazy busy for both of us recently but we are making time." Still, Noah hadn't been late for one of their rendezvous in a long time. Luke looked at the present in his hand and adjusted the bow on it. He looked at his watch: seven pm_._

Today was not a good day to be late. Luke had some surprises in store for his boyfriend.

--

Noah approached Metro, smoothing down his black skinny tie over his dark blue shirt, which was tucked into black suit trousers. He felt terrible. His number one rule was to put Luke first. However, his friend Josie had needed a shoulder to cry on and he couldn't get away.

Noah had tried his best to console her but was mindful of the clock ticking.

He entered the bar just after seven pmand froze as he caught site of Luke. He looked amazing. He wore an open necked crisp white shirt over charcoal grey suit pants as he sat on one of the bar stools.

Noah also noticed that the blond had cut his hair. Luke looked like a dressed up version of the young man he had finally kissed in the offices of WOAK over two years ago. His heart skipped a beat.

Luke was engrossed in conversation.

"So Noah is still in film school, huh?" Dan probed. He looked closely at the blond. _Wow, Luke was looking hot tonight,_ Dan thought. Noah must be totally secure to leave his gorgeous boyfriend waiting all alone in a bar.

"Yes, he is so talented Dan." Luke smiled and Noah melted at how Luke's face softened when speaking about him. He knew he was one lucky guy.

"Sure." Dan placed Luke's favorite mixed drink in front of him with a flourish; a _Bloody Shame_. He leaned over the bar counter and said suggestively,

"But if I had someone like you to get to, I wouldn't be a minute late."

Luke smiled politely but leaned back slightly and took a sip out of his virgin cocktail. Noah approached with his hands tucked into his pockets.

"And I can make a mean _Bloody Shame_." Dan continued.

"Dan, step away from my man!" Noah said easily. He knew it was innocent flirtation but a tiny irrational part of him wanted to growl at the attractive barman.

Dan smiled sheepishly when he saw the blue eyed brunet.

"I was just keeping Luke company."

Luke was beaming from ear to ear when he saw Noah.

"Thank you. I think I'll take it from here." Noah said looking at Luke with apologetic eyes.

"Happy Birthday, bubby!" Luke stood up and gave him a soft and gentle kiss. They encircled their arms around each other's waists.

"Thank you." Noah whispered. He rubbed his nose against Luke's at the sight of his lopsided smile.

"I'm sorry I'm late. It was Josie." He said by way of explanation as he aimlessly ran his hand through Luke's shorter, sexier hair.

"You are here now."Luke murmured back, gently rubbing his back.

"Um guys, do you want me to dowse you with some water, get the temperature down a little bit, get you a room?" Dan said.

Noah slightly pulled away from his boyfriend but continued to caress his hair and look at him whilst addressing the barman,

"That won't be necessary. Could you get me a_ Screaming_ _Orgasm_?"

Dan looked blank. Both Luke and Noah laughed as they looked at him.

"Don't mind him Dan. He thinks he is so funny. He'll have a _Pisco Sour_ and we'll be sitting in the corner." Luke guided Noah away from the bar.

"I am funny."

"I know you are bubby. The world just isn't ready for your brand of humor! But I love it just as much as I love you."

"You always know the right things to say." Noah grinned. "By the way, the new hair is hot. I'm having a hard time keeping my fingers away from it."

"Thanks." Luke found it incredible that his boyfriend could still make him feel like the most desirable person after the time they had been together.

"You look like you've just stepped out of GQ magazine! I am practically salivating." Luke said eliciting a wry look and a lifted eyebrow from Noah.

He was a 'T-shirt and jeans' kind of guy.

They sat down and wordlessly Luke gave him his present.

Noah didn't want to show how emotional he was getting but he felt himself choking up inside.

Stupidly, he hadn't expected much on his birthday. After all, most of his life he had barely celebrated it. He should have known Luke wouldn't have let the day go without marking it in some way.

He read the small card attached to the front.

_Dear Noah,_

_I am a lucky man._

_I wake up and I see you, my love._

_I fall asleep and I dream of you, my love._

_I am a lucky man for having found you, my love,_

_Always,_

_Luke_

He looked at Luke who was staring right back at him impatiently. He tore through the wrapping paper which revealed an unmarked box. Inside was a vintage white t-shirt.

Noah looked up at Luke.

"Okay. Let me tell you the story. I know how much you love James Dean so I thought that I'd try and get you some memorabilia. Remember when I went on that trip with my dad in May?"

Noah nodded.

"Well we went to bid for an item at a special auction: the t-shirt he wore in _Rebel without a Cause_."

Noah loved the actor's performance in that movie. His face started to crease up. Luke was so adorable but there was no way he would have been able to afford the iconic white t-shirt that marked the beginning of the t-shirt trend.

Luke must have settled on a replica.

Dan placed Noah's_ Pisco Sour_ next to Luke's drink.

"God, Luke it is times like this that I realize how much I love you. How much did it sell for in the end?"

"$49,000."

"What?" Noah thought he had misheard.

Luke smiled.

"So do you like it?"

Noah did not understand. There was no way Luke had managed to get it.

"I love it. It looks exactly like the real deal." Noah gently thumbed it, touched by how much effort his boyfriend had gone into to get him a reproduction of the original.

"That's because it is." Luke started smiling. The nerves he had over whether Noah would like his present faded as he saw Noah's face register what he had said.

"No way! It's not possible." Noah's grin was threatening to tear the corners of his mouth. He picked up the shirt and inspected it.

"No." He whispered again.

"Yes."

"But how?" He sniffed at the fabric.

"Gwen Munson."

"I don't get it."

"I'll tell you later. Now how about a kiss?" Luke leaned forward, closed his eyes and pursed his lips expectantly.

Noah looked at him in pure wonder and came in for a breathtaking lip lock.

"You are simply incredible, Luke. Thank you. This is the most awesome present I have ever received. EVER." Noah said. "I know I shouldn't, but I'm going to wear it around the house for you. That way I can be your very own James Dean." Noah couldn't stop feeling the material.

"Who needs James Dean when I've got you? Come on. Let's go home and you can try it out."

"But we haven't finished our drinks yet. I thought you wanted to spend the night out for my birthday?" Noah ventured. Luke had told him not to bother going back to the apartment to get changed for their evening out. Noah had had to change in the rest rooms on campus.

"I did at first but if I don't get you home and ravish you soon, we may be charged for public indecency." Luke said suggestively.

"I couldn't have that. If it means avoiding criminal prosecution, we had better get home." Noah sighed as if this was a big burden before smiling and quickly steeling a kiss from the brown eyed man.

Luke grabbed his hand and dragged him out the bar.

"Bye Dan!" They called out in unison as they practically ran out of the establishment.

--

Noah couldn't keep his hands off Luke as the elevator made its way up to their apartment.

He was trying to get Luke's shirt off, but with little success. Luke kept lightly slapping his hands away and lowering his shirt back down. He nipped and sucked at Luke's neck using his body to persuade his lover as he ran his hand under his shirt again.

Luke tried to not give in.

"Noah, wait. We are nearly there."

"I don't want to wait." He murmured. Why was Luke tucking his shirt into his pants? He was normally one hundred percent on board.

Luke stepped past him and turned the key to their home. Noah entered the dark apartment.

He pulled Luke in and said,

"Finally." He renewed his efforts to divest his boyfriend of his clothes when the lights went on.

He stopped what he was doing when he heard a loud,

"Happy Birthday!"

Luke gently pried himself away as Noah looked around the living room at familiar faces all beaming at him.

He blushed.

Lily, Holden, Casey, Jade, Alison, Jeff, most of Noah's friends from the university and some of Luke's work colleagues were there.

Luke held Noah's hands in his. "Happy twenty-second birthday, bubby!" He said.

~.~.~.~

"Congratulations on your successful bid, Mr. Dresdner. My name is Luke Snyder." Luke shook hands with the middle aged man who had won the bid for the t-shirt.

"Thank you. I must say that it is an indulgence that my wife will probably not approve of! I had not set out to get it."

"I was hoping to win the bid for my boyfriend's birthday but to be honest it was way over my budget."

"That would have been a very generous gift." James Dresdner said.

"It would have been worth it." Luke sadly smiled.

"If it is any consolation, my daughter, who means the world to me, turns sweet sixteen in four weeks. She has been a huge fan of this singer and with all the money in the world I haven't been able to make her wish come true for the two to meet."

"That is a shame. I suppose we're both going to disappoint people we care about." Luke stated trying to conceal his upset.

"True. I'll just have to keep trying with this Gwen Munson."

Luke paused.

"I'm sorry, did you say Gwen Munson?"

James Dresdner nodded.

"Mr Dresdner, do you believe in fate? I think we may be able to reach a mutually beneficial agreement."


End file.
